McLaren appoints Tim Bampton as Group Communications Director

McLaren Technology Group has appointed Tim Bampton to lead its strategic, corporate and brand communications, including McLaren Racing and McLaren Applied Technologies

In his role of Group Communications Director, Tim will report to McLaren Technology Group's Chief Marketing Officer, John Allert. Tim will oversee and direct the group’s media operations, corporate and brand communications, and consumer and lifestyle communications for its partners and initiatives such as McLaren’s e-sports project, the World’s Fastest Gamer.

With more than 25 years’ experience in motorsport communications and sponsorship, Tim’s involvement in Formula 1 began in the mid-1990s with a six-year spell at Williams in its media and marketing team. This was followed by a period managing Honda’s F1 communications in the early 2000s, before consulting to the Interpublic Group on its motorsport assets through Octagon’s management of Silverstone and the British Grand Prix.

Tim then co-founded a sponsorship communications agency, working first with British American Tobacco in its time as owner and title sponsor of BAR Honda, followed by Diageo and Johnnie Walker, still a sponsor of McLaren today. He later joined the motorsport marketing agency JMI, where he built the company’s global marketing communications group servicing a wide variety of international brands and corporations.

Tim comes to McLaren from CSM Sport & Entertainment, the global sports marketing agency, where he served as Chief Marketing Officer.

John Allert commented:

“Tim is a strong addition to our team. His valuable experience, skills and insight have been gained from a combination of rightsholder, sponsor and agency perspectives, which give him a rare and rounded ability to shape our strategic communications in support of our business objectives.”

Tim Bampton commented:

“The opportunity to represent McLaren, its people and partners is one of the most appealing in global sport. The enduring power of the McLaren brand, the values it embodies and its heritage provide an authentic platform for the group’s rich, evolving story to be shared.”

He added: “Equally it’ll be great to be back at the sharp end of the sport and I’m looking forward to strengthening existing relationships, reviving old ones and forging many new. Formula 1’s trajectory holds promise for all the sport’s stakeholders, not least its fans, and it will be rewarding to rejoin the sport at this time.”

Zak Brown, Executive Director, McLaren Technology Group, said:

“I know from having worked with Tim that he is a relationship man, proven leader and strong communicator, and I’m looking forward to him joining McLaren. He provides further strength to John's already impressive marketing team - a resource unrivalled in Formula 1.”

Tim takes up his new role on 21 August and will attend the Belgian Grand Prix as his first race with McLaren.